"Growing potatoes or sweet potatoes comes with many specific, different variables - many of which may surprise you. Potatoes and sweet potatoes may seem like they'd be siblings, but they're actually more like distant cousins, twice removed, that live three states over. Plopping a cutting from a sweet potato into some soil alongside a cutting from a regular potato will yield vastly different results between the two plants."
"The root of all the differences between potatoes and sweet potatoes can be chalked up to them being from two entirely different plant families. Potatoes are considered a nightshade, which is the same family as eggplants, tomatillos, chili peppers, tobacco, and more. Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, are part of the Convolvulaceae family alongside morning glories and a variety of other species of herbs, vines, and trees."
Potatoes and sweet potatoes are botanically distinct: potatoes belong to the nightshade family while sweet potatoes belong to the Convolvulaceae family. Potatoes prefer cooler, drier climates and are typically planted in early to mid-April when nighttime soil temperatures reach about 45°F and daytime soil temperatures reach about 55°F. Companion planting matters: avoid other nightshades like eggplants and peppers to reduce shared diseases and pests. Certain plants such as sunflowers, other root vegetables, and fennel can also hinder potato growth. Sweet potato cuttings and regular potato cuttings produce very different plants and yields.
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